On and on he ran in human form, through the woods and away from his fears. He kept thinking about Aella all through: how she was doing, if she was fine. He was overcome with worry and his head still banged with a headache.

Logan got to the pack house in about half the time it would normally take him. He was agitated and on edge, and he badly needed to talk to his beta and his cousin. He felt like they were the only two sensible people that could put his raging emotions in order.

He entered the pack house through the backyard kitchen door, praying that the kitchen was empty, because he did not be spotted by any member of the pack. But as he stepped into the kitchen, a handful of maids were standing around, cooking and cleaning and talking in hushed whispers about him, Aella and the entire issue. He stood in the shadows of the door, grateful for the gathering darkness and the protection that it offered him.

"I hear that Miss Aella and the alpha are mates!" A maid with buck teeth whispered, then giggled in excitement. "The alpha kept this from the Council and the whole pack all this while. I cannot even imagine that Aella woman as our Luna."

"Just imagine that!" Another one responded bitterly. "He only kept her around because she was his mate. And she started to kill his own pack members one by one, but the alpha didn't care, did he? As long as he was able to fuck his mate, we all didn't matter to him." She said and all the maids laughed at that statement.

"I believe that whatever is happening isn't his fault in any way." An older maid said. "Alpha Logan has been one of the best alphas we have had in this pack in a while. He has done better than his father ever did, and has dedicated all his life to protecting the legacy of this pack. Why would he begin to do things that would endanger it now? I don't think he knew of this whole tattoo business before today."

"Oh, shut up Fiona!" The buck toothed maid cut in; her face twisted in a smirk. "You're only supporting the alpha because you've had your eyes on him since, like, forever. He's got a mate now. Snap out of it!" She said and all the kitchen erupted in laughter.

Logan chose that minute to step out of the shadows. The whole kitchen fell silent as they saw him, then continued with their activities. Logan was mildly surprised, as they hadn't even greeted him or acknowledged his presence in any way. It was as though they didn't care that he had heard them. He was still alpha, but only by mouth. They knew it was only a matter of time before he was kicked out of the alpha seat.

He hadn't expected so many of his pack members to speak so ill of him. If mere maids could do it so openly without any fear of reprimand, he wondered what other pack members would do. He felt sadness grow in his heart as he thought of it. It was depressing how people were quick to turn on somebody in his time of crisis.

Logan tried to push his gloomy thoughts aside and walked to his father's wing. On his way, he met a few other pack members. They were all whispering in hushed tones as he passed, not even caring if he could hear them. None of them offered any form of greeting or even bowed their head as he passed. So many things had changed in his absence.

He got to his father's wing and opened the door. He walked in and took a good look around, nodding satisfactorily. At least his father was being well taken care of. His room was clean and devoid of the usual bottles of alcohol that usually littered the ground. The whole room had been swept and the windows had been left open, letting in a little bit of sunshine.

His father was on the bed, sleeping peacefully as usual. Logan walked closer to his father and sat down on the bed, looking at him. There was a tiny sliver of happiness in him. At least, in all the things that has been happening to the pack, his father was well taken care of and had not been left to his own devices.

Logan realised that since the time his father had had that brief spell where he had woken up and talked to his son like a normal person, he hadn't seen his father awake. The man was spending most of his aged life asleep, and Logan feared that he could slip into death from there.

He terribly wished he could talk with his father about everything that has been happening. He had heard from several people, including the members of the Council of Head Wolves, of how powerful and commanding his father had been before his mate died. He had also seen a little bit of this for himself when he had been a little boy. He was sure that his father would have a brilliant idea on what to do to win the favour of the people back. But alas, the old man was invalid.

"I won't disappoint you, dad." He said, patting his father's hand. "I'll make you proud of me, I promise."

He stood up from the side of the bed after that and walked to the door. He took a last longing look at his father, then walked out.

He decided to go and look for Casper and Louve since they were the only two people in the entire pack house that weren't whispering behind their hands anytime he walked past. First, he went to their shared room and knocked severally but no one answered. He even opened the door and peered inside but the room was empty.

He then decided to check the strategy and meeting room, as he most often used to see them there together. When he got to the strategy room, he opened the door. But instead of Louve and Casper in the room, he saw from afar a man sitting on the Alpha Seat, the place that was reserved for only him to sit during Council meetings.

It was Elias.

Immediately he saw the man, a wave of anger overcame him and he gritted his teeth in rage. He hadn't even been instated as alpha, yet he was already sitting on Logan's throne.

"Elias!" Logan called out, his voice echoing through the room. "What are you doing on that seat?"

Elias looked up. "Well well. Guess which wolf came running back with his tail between his legs?"

"You are not worthy to sit on it." Logan growled. "Get up. Now."

Elias settled even further into the seat, apparently not fazed by Logan. "You can't do anything to me, Logan. Try anything crazy and you'll be kicked out of this pack faster than you could call your own name."

Logan was so filled with anger that he walked forward to face Elias. He stood so close to the man's face that they were practically sharing breaths. "Get up. You don't deserve that seat."

Elias looked back into Logan's face. "And you don't deserve it either. I'd rather burn this pack to the ground than let a man with questionable lineage run this pack."

Logan tried to keep his cool. He knew that Elias was only trying to get him to overreact again, like that day in the study. He took several breaths, then stepped back. And without another word, he walked out of the strategy room.

Immediately he walked out, he tried to mindlink Casper and he replied withing seconds. Get Louve and come to the library, he said. We need to talk.